Video: Was last night’s big winner Marco Rubio?

posted at 11:21 am on November 7, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

The appalling exit polls from yesterday’s loss shows a huge problem for Republicans in the shifting demographics of the nation. Mitt Romney won 58% of the white vote, but didn’t even hit 30% among any of the non-white demographics in the electorate, which comprised 28% of the overall vote. Barack Obama won 69% of the Latino vote, which will only grow from its present 10% in coming years. Mike Huckabee blasted the GOP’s efforts at outreach on Fox News last night:

“What do you make of the racial divide we are seeing in vote totals,” Megyn Kelly asked.

“I don’t see it as all that shocking. I mean, typically, people of color tend to vote Democratic anyway,” Huckabee began.

“I think Republicans have done a pathetic job of reaching out to people of color – something we have to work on,” Huckabee continued. “Republicans have acted like they can’t get the vote, so they don’t try. And the result is that they don’t get the vote.”

Following ABC’s declaration of President Barack Obama’s re-election, Will explained that the GOP will look to Rubio to lead the party and expand its demographic appeal.

Obama “did close with a kick and both sides fought a gallant fight,” Will said. “Mitt Romney had a problem — I think Nicole [Wallace], you were talking about. During the Republican nominating process, the party turned first to one person and then to another to try and avoid what turned out to be inevitable.”

“If there’s a winner tonight, it’s the senator from Florida, Marco Rubio. Because all eyes are now going to be turned to him as a man who might have a way to broaden the demographic appeal of this party.”

Earlier this morning, I wrote that the GOP needs to find new leadership, new voices, and most importantly new approaches to conservatism that will allow a broader range of voters to relate to its core values. Of all the players we have on the bench, Rubio is clearly the best we have for that role. We discussed this last night on the Hugh Hewitt Show when Dennis Prager joined us by phone just as Ohio got called for Obama. Prager insisted that the Republican Party’s next leader needs to be Rubio, who represents and explains the core values of conservatism better than any other Republican at the national level, and who understands how to relate it to a broader range of voters.

Unfortunately, it was too early in Rubio’s national career to move forward in 2012. By 2016, he will have one term in the Senate, with a background as House Speaker in the Florida legisature. Will that be enough for credibility as a national candidate? Actually, I’m less concerned with 2016 as I am with the four years in between. We just can’t wait for the next presidential election to start rebuilding the direction of conservatism.

We need to offer a new approach to policy that remains in line with our core values, too. Matt Lewis argues today that Republicans have to start by choosing new leadership, but also choosing new “followship” as well by putting a substantial change in approach on the table:

As I’ve written before, Republicans must find a way to appeal to cosmopolitan conservatives. A modern political party cannot exist if it concedes the young, the urban, and the educated.

Some of this can be fixed through style and aesthetics. Football teams get new uniforms. Political parties can likewise benefit from repackaging. But there should clearly be some actual soul searching as well.

There will be a push to nominate a candidate who, at least, symbolically “fixes” this problem. Marco Rubio would be an obvious selection. But making the substantive changes won’t just require leadership, it will also require followship.

After two successive and significant national-election losses, it’s quite obvious that what Republicans and conservatives have done hasn’t worked. I’m reminded at this juncture of Jack Kemp, who should have had a brighter future, and who worked diligently to make conservatism relevant not just to affluent suburbanites but also to struggling urban voters. Rubio has that quality as well, but as Matt writes, it won’t work unless we start offering creative solutions along with better salesmanship.

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Rubio would be great for 2016… I prefer a WASP Governor for the President to appease the Evengelical voters who made lose the elections this time and Rubio as his VP to get more of the Latino vote and gurantee states like Florida…

So, are we going to get an apology from Ed Morrisey and AllahPundit about those bogus poll analysis: “Hmm… this poll is D+6 and no way this election will be D+6, don’t ask me how I know that, I just know” The problem with Hotair is that it’s hardly a news blog but a cheerleading website where embarassing facts are quickly dismissed. And every time someone tries to remind people that the reality may not be what they wish, the only reaction is “TROLLCOTT!!!“

So, are we going to get an apology from Ed Morrisey and AllahPundit about those bogus poll analysis: “Hmm… this poll is D+6 and no way this election will be D+6, don’t ask me how I know that, I just know” The problem with Hotair is that it’s hardly a news blog but a cheerleading website where embarassing facts are quickly dismissed. And every time someone tries to remind people that the reality may not be what they wish, the only reaction is “TROLLCOTT!!!“

The Republican party is getting whiter and older by the day. This is a sure recipe for more losses on the national level. Democrats have won the popular vote 5 of the last 6 presidential elections. All demographic changes are in their favor. Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia are now blue states.

Allen West was another big loser last night. Kicked to the curb for his extremist views. Just like the two abortion/rape senators.

Rubio would be great for 2016… I prefer a WASP Governor for the President to appease the Evengelical voters who made lose the elections this time and Rubio as his VP to get more of the Latino vote and gurantee states like Florida…

Showing your continued ignorance and continued focusing on the appearances of your “leaders”.

Rubio is a Cuban-and creepy. You people are so white you think he’s black.

Your problem is that the only states you have now are the dummy states. Your problem is the shrinking of your base-in total. The social issues albatross that your beloved Reagan strapped you too has perished and is by the love of God dragging you to the bottom of the sea.

In 30 years half of the voting population will be agnostic/non-religious-wtf are you weirdos going to do?

Don’t forget to unskew those demographic numbers before you do any analysis.

red_herring on November 7, 2012 at 11:24 AM

I guess you are just making fun of the unskewed polls… But before you do this did you expect that Romney would get 3 million votes less than McCain? No one would have expected this and this is the only reason democrats were D+6 this year despite Obama losing 10 millions of his 2008 voters… That is the reason that masters of elections predictions like Karl Rove and Michale Barone got it wrong… So yes the polls got it right but only because of the unexpected happened and this is 3 millions of McCain Voters (Evengelicals not wanting a Mormon President) stayed home or showed up at the polls but did not fill the President spot on the ballot…

The Republican party is getting whiter and older by the day. This is a sure recipe for more losses on the national level. Democrats have won the popular vote 5 of the last 6 presidential elections. All demographic changes are in their favor. Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia are now blue states.

Allen West was another big loser last night. Kicked to the curb for his extremist views. Just like the two abortion/rape senators.

ZippyZ on November 7, 2012 at 11:28 AM

And all because your party hands out free sh1t. That is what you have devolved to as a citizen of the USSA.

Mitt Romney won 58% of the white vote, but didn’t even hit 30% among any of the non-white demographics in the electorate, which comprised 28% of the overall vote. Barack Obama won 69% of the Latino vote, which will only grow from its present 10% in coming years.

This “white vote versus others vote” way of thinking has always been utter BS. Only those of the weakest intellect fall for this line of garbage.

It’s producers versus takers. Period. The only thing that has ‘shifted” is that there are now officially more takers than producers.

I’m already sick of the calls for who the GOP is going to run in 2016. The top story here today should be titled “Now What?” I mean, what is Obama going to do now that he is in the exact same situation he’s been in for the past 2 years with a Republican controlled House? What is the plan now? The campaign is over. What’s his agenda now?

So, are we going to get an apology from Ed Morrisey and AllahPundit about those bogus poll analysis: “Hmm… this poll is D+6 and no way this election will be D+6, don’t ask me how I know that, I just know” The problem with Hotair is that it’s hardly a news blog but a cheerleading website where embarassing facts are quickly dismissed. And every time someone tries to remind people that the reality may not be what they wish, the only reaction is “TROLLCOTT!!!“

NewtRomney on November 7, 2012 at 11:25 AM

Did you expect that Romney would get 3 million votes less than McCain got in 2008? No one would have expected this and this is the only reason democrats were D+6 this year despite Obama losing 10 millions of his 2008 voters… That is the reason that masters of elections predictions like Karl Rove and Michale Barone got it wrong… So yes the polls got it right but only because of the unexpected happened and this is 3 millions of McCain Voters (Evengelicals not wanting a Mormon President) stayed home or showed up at the polls but did not fill the President spot on the ballot…

I’d prefer a candidate who’s not steeped in racial politics, who supports the rule of law, not pandering to groups based on their race. Rubio’s immigration stance is based on illegal immigrants from Mexico being Hispanic, like Rubio is. If we formally Balkanize the country into white, black, Hispanic, rich, poor, women, gay, straight, then we are, simply, screwed.

Obama SAYS “we’re not black and white or rich and poor” but he doesn’t mean it. He wants to divide by race and class as much as the biggest race hustler, the biggest demagogue out there. He thinks that’s the way it should be. He thinks the rich should pay, because they “didn’t build it”, and he thinks we should identify with the color of our skin, as he’s spent his life doing and writing about. That’s his world view, and now most of the country agrees with him.

Way too soon, IMO, for this type of speculation. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am devastated by last night’s results and am going to take a good long break from politics for a while. I’m going to focus on my work (while I have it) and more importantly, my two young sons. I am going to live life to the fullest in this beautiful republic while it is still recognizable. God Bless America, as for the moment, it is the greatest nation on earth.

Showing your continued ignorance and continued focusing on the appearances of your “leaders”.

Rubio is a Cuban-and creepy. You people are so white you think he’s black.

Your problem is that the only states you have now are the dummy states. Your problem is the shrinking of your base-in total. The social issues albatross that your beloved Reagan strapped you too has perished and is by the love of God dragging you to the bottom of the sea.

In 30 years half of the voting population will be agnostic/non-religious-wtf are you weirdos going to do?

tommyhawk on November 7, 2012 at 11:29 AM

Genius I tell you, genius. We only have the dummy states huh? When the system collapses and it will, then we’ll see who the real dummies are.

I don’t know how Josh Jordan of NR recovers from this. I won’t buy a word from him as accurate.

You think about the time spent reading poll info, and it was all garbage.

Too much fear of being ostracized by the Republican/Conservative media industry.

That’s why this loss has such impact. No one, once, said “WTF if these state poll demos are right?”

budfox on November 7, 2012 at 11:33 AM

Did you expect that Romney would get 3 million votes less than McCain got in 2008? No one would have expected this and this is the only reason democrats were D+6 this year despite Obama losing 10 millions of his 2008 voters… That is the reason that masters of elections predictions like Karl Rove and Michale Barone got it wrong… So yes the polls got it right but only because of the unexpected happened and this is 3 millions of McCain Voters (Evengelicals not wanting a Mormon President) stayed home or showed up at the polls but did not fill the President spot on the ballot…

Once again Ron Paul was right, the status quo won. And if Rombama had been elected, the status quo would have won still.

It isn’t the candidates you people selected, it’s the policies. If you want to win, try embracing actual freedom and liberty. Instead of telling other free and independent adults how to live their lives, try acknowledging that humans should be able to choose their own way, as long as they aren’t hurting others. Try to slow down on the trashing of the US Constitution with bi-partisan legislation like TARP, the NDAA, SOPA/PIPA, and endless foreign aid to countries that hate us. Maybe we can ask South Korea to guard their own borders, while we guard ours. Maybe we can ask Europe to develop and pay for their own missile shield while we deploy our over our own country.

Would Marco Rubio appeal more to Latinos and single women? Almost assuredly. But I don’t want our next nominee to be chosen based on identity politics. That’s how you end up with worthless pieces of crap like Obama in charge of this country.

The key to taking back the White House and Senate is to just sit back and let the Democrat Party policies play out. Give them the tax hikes on “the rich” so they lose that talking point as well. Then when the fit hits the shan and the economy collapses, simply go to the voters in 2014 and 2016 and give them a simple choice: do you want a job or do you want more of the same?

A lot of that talk, if not all of it, is rooted in disdain and even hatred of conservatives. Individuality is out, group identity based on skin color, gender, sexual orientation, and who knows what else, is in.

Just running Marco Rubio as the pretty face of the Republican Party will be seen for what it is: pandering.

We need to attack the urban Democratic record. Blacks have given Democrats 90+% of their vote for generations, and what has it gotten them? Detroit. Baltimore. Philly. Chicago. We need to attack that, expose that sorry record for what it is, and ask Latinos if that’s the pattern they want to follow.

For God’s sake, the public school graduation rate in Detroit is 27%! Who the hell wants to follow that model for their own kids?

WTH?!?! Barack Obama and the Democrats were the big winners last night. Period, end of discussion.

Nice strawman. You liberals are just atrocious with your arguments. It’s not even fun anymore… you make it so boring. You said HotAir is no better than Us Magazine with its bias. I said HotAir is very forthright with its viewpoint. And now you’re droning on about society not being well served by a website that is forthright in its viewpoint. What? And then you bring up Fox News? What? With whom are you arguing? How do you go through life yelling at these crazy strawmen every day?

This “white vote versus others vote” way of thinking has always been utter BS. Only those of the weakest intellect fall for this line of garbage.

It’s producers versus takers. Period. The only thing that has ‘shifted” is that there are now officially more takers than producers.

HotAirian on November 7, 2012 at 11:32 AM

THIS

it’s not about race. it’s about political beliefs, beliefs about what the role of gov’t should be. don’t know why both GOP and dems are always obsessed with analyzing what race every voter is. (and i say this as a black person)

Also we need to find a way in states controlled by Republicans to abolish early voting and absentee ballots except absentee ballots for military and Americans overseas… Enough with this early voting crap…

And every time someone tries to remind people that the reality may not be what they wish, the only reaction is “TROLLCOTT!!!“

NewtRomney on November 7, 2012 at 11:25 AM

Agreed, the site is getting like LGF; you can’t give an aopposing argument without people calling you an idiot and a troll. Precisely why everyone thought Romney had it in the bag; the site is a total echo chamber now with no one tethered to reality.

The stupid arguement that almsot every pollster in America was overcounting Dems. They call people. A lot of people say they are Dems. Know what that means? It means a lot of people are now identifying as Dems. But no, AP and Ed and the rest had us all believing in some grand conspiracy b/w multiple news and polling orgs.

And Rubio is ethically challenged, enriched himself and his family members at the expense of FL taxpayers and the state Republican party. Typical corrupt FL pol; speaks well and is not white so suddenly he is a rock start. Just our Obama, nothing more.

Way too soon, IMO, for this type of speculation. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am devastated by last night’s results and am going to take a good long break from politics for a while. I’m going to focus on my work (while I have it) and more importantly, my two young sons. I am going to live life to the fullest in this beautiful republic while it is still recognizable. God Bless America, as for the moment, it is the greatest nation on earth.

I have yet to see a thorough analysis of what actually happened yesterday. Why did McCain get more votes than Willard? Who stayed home? Beware of doctors that prescribe cures without bothering to diagnose the illness!

Chris Christie is done in my eyes, I simply don’t trust him, and I see his “New Jersey style” wearing thin after a while.

We need the demographics of Latino voters.

What’s killing the GOP is SoCon extremists though, and regardless of how good a candidate we nominate for President, we have to address that. We lost so many Senate seats because the GOP looked extreme on these issues. The “War on Women” meme won the day.

agree with these two quotes in that republicans should not play the identity politics game, it just makes up more liberal:

Would Marco Rubio appeal more to Latinos and single women? Almost assuredly. But I don’t want our next nominee to be chosen based on identity politics. That’s how you end up with worthless pieces of crap like Obama in charge of this country.

Doughboy on November 7, 2012 at 11:38 AM

A lot of that talk, if not all of it, is rooted in disdain and even hatred of conservatives. Individuality is out, group identity based on skin color, gender, sexual orientation, and who knows what else, is in.

Paul-Cincy on November 7, 2012 at 11:38 AM

I think Rubio would make a fine VP for President Palin.

huckleberryfriend on November 7, 2012 at 11:29 AM

i think this is a great idea for a ticket =) they’d work well together. and woman + minority gives the republicans bonus points, but these are just bonus points and not the main reason i like this ticket. the most important thing isn’t race or gender, it’s policies and intelligence.

And anytime a candidate even as much utters something that would possibly be even 6 degrees away from “amnesty,” they are basically booed off the stage…(see Rick Perry, or Rubio and his own version of Dream Act).

No more of this, “I love immigration, let’s have more guest visas!” crap. If you believe in Free Market Capitalism, then you believe in the ability for free peoples to go where they want and work where they want. Guest visas is big government imposing a quota, and if quotas are horrible in trade, then why would a quota on people be any better?

Trying to limit immigration under the guise of the “Mexican drug war” isn’t working. The drug war still rages on and America is still affected (and immigration is only one small problem of the drug war, but that’s something else).

Republicans need to go back and watch Milton Friedman on immigration and illegal immigration.

Showing your continued ignorance and continued focusing on the appearances of your “leaders”.

tommyhawk on November 7, 2012 at 11:29 AM

You mean just like expecting everyone to vote for Obama just because he’s black? (Or, to say it differently, just like saying anyone who doesn’t vote for Obama is a racist?)

But in response to Rubio, as much as I like him, I don’t think he would be any better at drawing Hispanics. Ask youself this: is he for or against doing something to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the US? Does he, or does he not, advocate an open borders stance?

The only way to capture the Hispanic vote, I believe, is to pander to those who want no border control.

A business associate of mine said yesterday, “I don’t care who’s elected, as long as they don’t threaten to deport me.” He’s a completely legal immigrant from England. He has a visa, and is here with the complete blessing of everyone who knows him and the work he does. There is No. Reason. To. Deport. Him.

Yet there he is, telling everyone he supports anyone who wouldn’t do something to him he’s in absolutely no danger of.

This is the mentality of the people we’re told we should be trying to reach. Yep – becoming a liberal will help us win elections. But we’ll no longer look like Republicans.

Way too soon, IMO, for this type of speculation. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am devastated by last night’s results and am going to take a good long break from politics for a while. I’m going to focus on my work (while I have it) and more importantly, my two young sons. I am going to live life to the fullest in this beautiful republic while it is still recognizable. God Bless America, as for the moment, it is the greatest nation on earth.

Nikkia2112 on November 7, 2012 at 11:35 AM

This is a really good post — it’s what people should do. The only exception is thinking it’s too soon to start thinking about 2016. The Democrats are probably looking to 2016 even as Obama celebrates his re-election. Given the nature of the campaign cycle, 2016 may be four years away chronologically, but in political years, it’s more like two years away.

Do you even read? The NE and the Pacific coast are the engines of this entire economy. When are they going red? Never. That’s where all the federal taxes come from you ignorant.

Scraps? Your going to need Obamacare for all the diabetic bloats rolling around redstate. Trust me it will save your ass soon. Personally I’d like to cut all you off, but my fellow libs are softies.

tommyhawk on November 7, 2012 at 11:43 AM

Engine of the entire economy? Did you forget that most of the manufacturing infrastructure, Oil/Gas production, and Agriculture is not located in the North East and Pacific cost? You are a total fool… A liberal snob but what else is expected from a liberal… I live in the North East by the way but the company I work for cannot survive without those Oil/Gas companies from the South buying our equipments…

Sadly, it was the Mormon thing… We lost 3 to 5 million Evangelical voters yesterday because of the Mormons thing more than enough for a win and a big win….

mnjg on November 7, 2012 at 11:38 AM

And that is why we keep losing…we focus on the “boogeyman” under the bed…pal, Mormon had nothing to do with it.

Mitt lost it because, after the first debate, he became defensive, he didn’t keep attacking, he just gave good speeches.

Obama’s ground game was stronger, so that had to be offset with something better than being a nice guy…his surrogates were weak…who countered Reid? Who stood up and attacked Reid? Who stood up to Wasserman, or Pelosi, no one, he didn’t have any bulldogs, no pitbulls, just lipstick.

Also we need to find a way in states controlled by Republicans to abolish early voting and absentee ballots except absentee ballots for military and Americans overseas… Enough with this early voting crap…

mnjg on November 7, 2012 at 11:41 AM

but then that creates a big stress on election day with lines much longer than before. and some places already have super long lines NOW, with early voting still in place.

So to summarize, Ed and AP have adopted the liberal mantra about conservatives: that we have to compromise our principles in order to attract more blacks and hispanics to gain power? Is that about right?

I have yet to see a thorough analysis of what actually happened yesterday. Why did McCain get more votes than Willard? Who stayed home? Beware of doctors that prescribe cures without bothering to diagnose the illness!